How To Find Your Spiritual Ancestors

Begin by obtaining facts about your family's history at home. You might be amazed at how much knowledge you already have. The following are examples of genealogy records that can be found at home:

You're looking for dates for family members' births, marriages, and deaths. Make a list of all known familial relationships, such as parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, and so on.

Use a family tree software tool like Family Tree Maker or Legacy Family Tree to keep track of what you've learned.

Step 2 – Seek Out the Vital Records

After you've figured out everything you can from your own documents, look for your ancestors' vital records.

What exactly is a crucial record? A birth, marriage, or death certificate is an important record. In genealogical research, vital records are relatively “new” records. In North Carolina, for example, birth certificates were not utilized until 1913. Expect to find no birth certificates for North Carolina ancestors born before 1913. Check when each of your ancestor's vital records started to be used in his or her state.

Some of these may have been located in your home records, but you will almost certainly need to order others.

Birth, marriage, and death certificates (BMDs) give vital genealogical information about people.

The following are examples of such data:

Don't Forget About Your Ancestor's Death Certificate's Genealogy Clues

Step 3 – Track Your Ancestors Through the U. S. Census Records

You're now ready to start searching census records for your ancestors. The census, which began in 1790 and was conducted every ten years, was a count of the country's population for the purpose of assigning representation in the government. Only the head of the household was named in the census from 1790 to 1840. Numbers or tick marks in age group categories are used to account for other family members.

You can track your ancestor back through the years as a researcher and acquire vital information about specific ancestors and family units. You're looking for the following kind of information:

• Age of the individual – This could be a range of ages or a specific age. You can approximate an ancestor's birth date with a little arithmetic.
• Property Value — Look for your ancestor's land records if he had property at the time of the census.
• Take a look at your neighbors.
• Keep track of who lives near your ancestor. From your ancestor's listing, read the census 4-5 pages forward and backward. These people could be relatives and/or associates of your ancestors.

Step 4 – Location, Location, Location – Research Your Ancestor's Land Records

Locate and analyze your land-owning ancestors' land records. Land records were made if your ancestors owned land. These records place your ancestor in a certain time and location, which is extremely helpful to you as a researcher.

Let's have a look at the different forms of land records. Deeds, grants, and patents are examples of land records.

A deed is a legal document that documents the transfer of ownership between two parties. The individual selling the land is known as the Grantor. The Grantee is the individual who purchases the property.

A land grant and a land patent are both documents that represent the transfer of land from the government or a proprietor to an individual. A land grant is a term used to describe land that has been granted by the federal government. A patent is a piece of land that has been granted by a proprietor.

Land records might reveal more than just where your ancestor lived; they can also indicate additional family members or associates. Make a note of any individuals identified in the record, including witnesses, after determining where your ancestor was located. Determine each of the named persons' ties to your ancestor. Frequently, witnesses in a deed were relatives or close acquaintances.

You can also identify when an ancestor departed a region by tracing your ancestor's land acquisitions and sells.

Land records are typically kept at the county register of deeds office, the courthouse, or the state archives. For the most part, land records are not available online, but this is changing. To find out what's available online, go to the location where you're doing your study.

Step 5 – Research the Death Records

The death of your ancestor resulted in records, and these records — wills and estate records – supply you, the researcher, with significant information.

To begin, look for your ancestor's will.

Spouses, children, and even grandkids are frequently mentioned in wills.

Unusual family relationships, particularly ones involving stepchildren, may be discussed. You'll also get an idea of your ancestor's fortune.

The estate of an ancestor who died without a will is known as intestate. While this isn't ideal for your ancestors, it may be beneficial to you as a researcher. An intestate estate necessitated the creation of extra documents in order to ensure that the deceased's property, both real and personal, was dispersed in accordance with the law.

Examine every page of the estate file. Names of children and a spouse can be found. The estate sale record will include a list of all of the deceased's belongings, as well as information about the community and who attended the estate sale. Frequently, these are family members, including in-laws.

Make a list of everyone identified in the record, just like you would with any other genealogy document, and figure out how they are related to the deceased. If an individual was significant enough to be mentioned in your ancestor's will or estate papers, he or she is significant to you as a researcher.

The use of DNA in genealogy research is a popular and intriguing trend. It is frequently how people begin their genealogical research or decide to learn more about their ancestors.

DNA research is a sub-specialty of genealogy. One thing to keep in mind is that DNA testing must be used in conjunction with traditional “paper” genealogical research.

You have a variety of options when it comes to testing your DNA. Each testing firm has its own database, so it's a good idea to try out a few. Your findings won't change much, but you'll have a better probability of finding a match.

I recommend Blaine Bettinger's book The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy Second Edition if you're ready to test your DNA. This is my go-to site for genetic genealogy information.

Need More Genealogy Resources? Here Are Some Of My Favorites!

Books are a favorite among genealogists of all ability levels. Here are a few of my favorites for honing your research abilities in genealogy.

• The Board for Certification of Genealogists' Second Edition of Genealogy Standards
• Kenyatta Berry's The Family Tree Toolkit: A Comprehensive Guide to Uncovering Your Ancestry and Researching Genealogy is a comprehensive guide to uncovering your ancestry and researching genealogy.

If you're looking for short, instructive videos to help you improve your genealogy research skills, look no further. There are a lot of wonderful genealogy videos on YouTube! Here are a few of my favorites:

What is an ancestor spirit?

Ancestor spirits were one of the two principal sorts of spirits (anito) with whom shamans spoke in precolonial Philippines' animistic indigenous religions. Umalagad were the spirits of ancestors (lit. “guardian” or “caretaker”). They can be specific ancestor spirits or more generalized family guardian spirits. The ancient Filipinos believed that after death, a person's soul went to a spirit world (typically by boat). In the spirit realm, there can be several locations, each with its own ethnic group. The fate of spirits is determined by how they died, their age at death, and their behavior while alive. In the underworld, souls reconnect with deceased relatives and enjoy normal lives as they did in the physical world. In some circumstances, evil people's souls must go through penance and cleansing before being allowed to enter a spirit realm. After a length of time in the spirit world, souls would reincarnate.

The material world still has some influence over souls in the spirit world, and vice versa. Paganito rites can be performed to call on beneficial ancestral spirits for protection, guidance, or intervention. The dead's vengeful spirits can appear as apparitions or ghosts (mantiw) and hurt living people. Paganito has the ability to appease or expel them. Ancestor spirits were also thought to be the ones who called the soul to the underworld, guided the soul (a psychopomp), or met the soul upon arrival following illness or death.

The Cordillerans call ancestor spirits kalading; the Maguindanao and Maranao call them tonong; the Sama-Bajau call them umboh; Tagalogs call them ninun; and Bicolanos call them nono. Traditionally, carved figures known as taotao are used to represent ancestor spirits. Upon a person's death, the society carved these. Every family had a taotao on a shelf in the corner of the house.

Despite having been Christianized since coming into touch with Spanish missionaries in 1521, the primarily Roman Catholic Filipino people nevertheless hold ancestors in high regard, however without the formality that their neighbors do. In today's world, ancestor reverence is represented through the placement of images of the deceased near the house altar, which is a frequent feature in many Filipino Christian homes. Candles are frequently lit in front of portraits, which are occasionally adorned with garlands of fresh sampaguita, the national flower. Ancestors, particularly deceased parents, are still revered as psychopomps, as a dying person is thought to be “fetched” to the afterlife by the spirits of deceased relatives (Tagalog: sundô, “fetch”). When the dying shout out the names of loved ones who have passed away, it is thought that the spirits of those individuals can be seen waiting at the foot of the deathbed.

How do you pray to your ancestors?

God, the Giver of Hope and Love Please accept our prayers for our forefathers and mothers. May the path they traveled in search of peace and joy in you reflect the same peace and joy we seek. O Lord, grant them eternal peace and let perpetual light shine upon them.

How often should you feed your ancestors?

Food and drink should be thrown out on a regular basis. When it comes to water, make sure to refill the glass on a frequent basis. For some folks, this can be on a daily or weekly basis. A suitable interval for me is twice a month or once a month. You don't need a ceremony to get rid of the food. Simply dispose of it. If you feel you need a ceremony to help you complete this job, develop one with yourself and your ancestors. Make the most of what you have. Make use of your expertise, experiences, and resources.

What religion prays to their ancestors?

Confucianism is based on the veneration of ancestors and the respect for family. Ancestral rites are incredibly essential and must be carried out meticulously. An individual can receive the assistance and participation of deceased relatives if they are carried out correctly.

Access Genealogy

This collection of free genealogy documents continues to develop. To search data from Southern states, military records, small-town newspapers, and the Guion Miller Roll index of Cherokee tribal members, go to the Databases page. The latter adds to what was already a must-visit for anyone with Native American ancestors.

FamilySearch

With over 3,000 online collections (and counting), this is the internet's largest repository of free genealogy data, with current upgrades focusing on Italy, South America, and vital records from the United States. You can discuss and record your discoveries in family trees and a “Memories” gallery, and the wiki can assist you with research.

How do you find the ancestral origin?

If you're like most genealogists, you want to learn more about your ancestors' international roots. Unless your forefathers and mothers were entirely Native Americans, your ancestors came from somewhere other than the North American continent. We are essentially an immigrant nation, dating back nearly 400 years to the creation of this country by Europeans. Knowing where your ancestors came from across the water is a unique experience that connects you to civilizations you may name your own. You might even locate some distant cousins still living in the ancestral lands who would be delighted to show you around if you ever visit.

Here are some pointers to help you locate your ancestor's origins if you're stumped.

Listen to Your Family's Stories:

While family stories are renowned for errors and downright lies, there is generally a kernel of truth somewhere in there. The more recently a family line moved to America, the more likely the family origin tale is to be accurate, yet the farther back in time the immigration occurred, the less likely it is to be accurate. Even with more recent immigrants, always check all family origin stories. For example, I was informed as a child that my paternal grandfather's mother immigrated to America from Germany in the early twentieth century. My grandfather told me that his mother was from Germany. When I started performing genealogy research, however, I rapidly learned that this was not the case. My grandfather's mother was the one who moved here from Germany, and she did so in 1883, not in the twentieth century. As a result, even within a generation, family origin stories might vary. In this example, the family did originate in Germany, but the immigrant ancestor was not the one I had been taught about. It wasn't my grandfather's mother who died, but his German maternal grandmother. Listening to any family origin stories about an ancestor is an excellent beginning step if you're wondering about their origin. However, you should always double-check your stories with records. – Find out more

Look at Census Records:

Beginning in 1880, census records requested the birthplace of an enumerated person's parents. If you have a recent immigrant ancestor, or suspect one, census information from 1880 and later can help you figure out whether they were born in the United States or not, as well as where their parents were born. Although you will still need to verify this information with other documents, because the people supplying the census information may not have spoken the truth for their own motives, or may have given false information inadvertently based on a story told to them by their parents or grandparents. Because Irish, Scottish, German, Russian, and other nations have very identifiable-sounding last names, last names can sometimes lend more confidence to a declared place of origin on a census record. Even so, double-checking with other records is always a good idea. The place of birth of a person or their parents on a census record provides a clue, and a starting off point for future investigation, similar to family stories. – Find Out More

How accurate is ancestry?

When it comes to reading each of the hundreds of thousands of places (or markers) in your DNA, accuracy is extremely high. AncestryDNA offers an accuracy percentage of above 99 percent for each marker tested using current technology.

Are ancestors important?

Attachment, belonging, and connection are all things that humans yearn for. Not only with people in our immediate environment, but also with people in our past and future, the bonds we make with others can last a lifetime. The more we learn about our past, the closer we feel to our forefathers and mothers. When we document our own history, we provide future generations the ability to connect with us after we're gone.

Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong, a renowned TED talk by British journalist Johann Hari, explains that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety, but connection. Learning about our ancestors and family members past and present satisfies an essential yearning in each of us.

Compassion

Learning about our ancestors' lives allows us to develop a better understanding of the difficulties they endured, as well as a greater love and compassion for their flaws and shortcomings. This compassion can readily be transferred to our interactions with the living, both within and outside of our families. We all have to deal with adversity. We may be better employees, bosses, lovers, parents, children, siblings, and human beings by remembering that fact in the context of others' flaws.

Resilience

Knowing our family's history helps us to be more resilient. We can detect patterns of overcoming setbacks and surviving difficult times by studying our forefathers' life. Their experiences remind us that not everything in life will go smoothly, that disappointments will occur, and that disparities will persist, but that despite these obstacles, we may recover, prevail, and find happiness.